Card game and method of play

ABSTRACT

The invention is a card game played with a deck of 53 cards. This is a multi-bonus wagering game. The method of playing includes playing a regular wager at the beginning of the game, and an optional first bonus wager and second bonus wager. The dealer deals cards, two face down to the player at the beginning of the game and one face up to the Dealer. The players shall have an option to receive more cards. Each player attempts to achieve a higher total point value per hand than the dealer without exceeding a value of 21, or each player attempts to achieve the best possible bonus combination in the single hand with out exceeding the total value of the 21. Preferably, the Player&#39;s hand can beat the Dealer, and/or win the bonuses in eight ways: (1) Achieve a higher total point value than the Dealer&#39;s hand without exceeding a value of 21; (2) Achieve a total point value of 21 or less with the Dealer&#39;s hand exceeding a value of 21; (3) Achieve a Blackjack (total point value of 21 with the first two cards); (4) Achieve a total value of 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 with Joker being part of their hand and the Joker bonus bet made; (5) Poker bonus: Placing the bet on the Poker bonus spot, and attempt to achieve a pair or better with out exceeding total value of 21 with or with out the Joker, and other bonus hands as defined in a table of payouts; or (6) Joker and Poker Bonus: Placing the bet on both bonus spots, and attempting to achieve a poker hand without exceeding a total value of 21 with the Joker as part of their hand, such hands defined in a bonus table of payouts

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] This invention relates to card games, and more particularly tocard games based on twenty-one (also known as Blackjack) thatincorporate elements of the card game known as Poker.

[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0004] twenty-one is a card game commonly available in casinos. Thethematic object of the game is for a player to obtain a hand of cardshaving a value closer to 21 than the value of the dealer's hand. If thevalue of the player's hand exceeds 21, however, the player loses (nomatter what the value of the dealer's hand).

[0005] twenty-one is normally played is as follows: each card has avalue equal to its face value, with the exception of aces (which have avalue of one or eleven, depending which is most useful to the holder ofthe card), and the face cards jack, queen and king) which all have avalue of ten. Each player is initially dealt two cards. The dealer isthen dealt a card face up (a common variation is to deal the dealer twocards—one of which is face down).

[0006] A player may request additional cards (request a “hit”) toincrease the value of the player's hand. If the value of the player'shand is becomes greater than 21, the player loses, or “busts.” Theplayer may cease taking cards, or “stand” when he has a hand with avalue of 21 or less. If a player busts, the wager is lost regardless ifthe dealer also busts.

[0007] After all of the players have busted or elect to stand, thedealer “stands” or takes “hits” based on pre-established rules.Commonly, such rules situate that the dealer must take a hit if thevalue of the dealer's hand is less than 17, or must stand if the valueis 17 or greater. Further variations may be in place depending onwhether the dealer's hand includes an ace.

[0008] After the value of the dealer's hand has been established, suchvalue is compared to that of the player. If the player has busted, theplayer loses, if the player has not busted and the dealer has, theplayer wins. If neither the player nor the dealer has busted, the handhaving the highest value wins, and in the case of a tie (known as a“push”) there is no winner.

[0009] Another feature commonly present in twenty-one is “DoublingDown.” If the player's first two cards have a total value of 10 or 11,the player may “double down”. The player then turns both of his cardsface-up and makes a second wager equal to the amount of his initialwager. The dealer then deals the player an additional card and theresulting three-card hand establishes the value of the player's hand.Most “Doubling Down” rules permit the player to “double down” only onhands having a value of 10 or 11. Variations include allowing players to“double down” on hands having a value of 9, 10 or 11; only on 11; or onany two cards.

[0010] Another variation is called “Splitting Pairs.” If the player'sfirst two cards are a pair, the player may “split” such cards into twoseparate hands. The player's original wager is applied to one of thehands and an additional wager is made for the other hand. The playerthen is dealt a new second card for each hand. Each of the split handsis played separately and the player proceeds normally. If a playersplits a pair of Aces, the player is dealt only one card for each hand;unless the new card dealt to the player is another Ace, in which casethe player may again split the Aces and repeat the process.

[0011] This variation may be combined with “doubling down” so that theplayer may “double down” on either or both of his split hands if he iseligible to do so. In many gaming establishments, a player may alsosplit his hand if both of the initial cards dealt are ten count cards(Tens, Jacks, Queens or Kings).

[0012] A further variation is “Insurance” in which if the dealer'svisible card is an Ace, the player may make an additional “insurance”wager. The insurance wagers are made after each player is dealt hisfirst two cards and the dealer reveals a card and before any additionalcards are dealt. “Insurance” allows each player to wager one-half of theamount of the original wager as insurance against the dealer having aBlackjack, (a two-card 21 count, for example an Ace and a 10 count cardsuch as a King, Queen, Jack or Ten). If the dealer has a Blackjack, theplayer loses his original wager but wins two-to-one odds on the“insurance” wager, and that round of the game ends and all players loseexcept those who also have a Blackjack (in which case such players tieor “push”). If the dealer does not have a Blackjack, the player losesthe “insurance” wager and the other hand is played normally.

[0013] In yet another variation of twenty-one, the dealer shows both ofhis cards face-up before the players draw. This improves the player'sodds of winning and the payout odds are modified to adjust for thischange so that the house's advantage remains.

[0014] As used in this disclosure and the accompanying claims, the term“twenty-one” means the game of twenty-one or Blackjack as previouslydescribed and including known variations. A difficulty with conventionaltwenty-one is that there is no opportunity for a player to win a largeamount (by having a high odd payback). Instead a player will win only asmall amount (typically at 2-1 odds) each hand and to win a largeramount he or she must play many hands.

[0015] Poker is another well established card game. In a typical game ofpoke, players make an initial wager, and are dealt a number of cards(typically 5). A second round of betting follows, after which theplayers exchange cards held for new cards, or in some variations, drawnew cards. Typically a final round of betting is held, and then theplayers reveal their cards, and the highest ranking hand wins the entireamount wagered.

[0016] Frequently when poker is played in a gaming establishment, (forexample on a video terminal), the player makes a wager, and attempts toobtain the highest ranking hand possible through the initial deal andone or more card exchanges. The player wins (or loses) an amount basedon the odds of obtaining a certain hand (for example a four of a kindwould pay the player at greater odds than two pairs).

[0017] There have been several other variations to twenty-one and pokergames in an attempt to provide a game that provides more fun for theplayers, and may allow them to win larger prizes.

[0018] U.S. Pat. No. 5,549,300 to Saunders discloses a method of playinga blackjack game wherein wild cards jokers) are used and the face cards(including aces) are removed. What is not present is the ability tooffer players larger payouts at greater odds than is found inconventional blackjack, and jokers function as aces do in standardtwenty-one.

[0019] U.S. Pat. No. 5,615,888 to Lofink et al. discloses a Spanishtwenty-one card game method of play in which the “Tens” are removed fromthe deck, and a bonus is paid to the player if the player's first twocards are a Blackjack. The bonus payout is still limited, however, andis based on card combinations in the players hand (which still cannotexceed a value of 21).

[0020] U.S. Pat. No. 5,678,821 to Hedman discloses a method of playing acombination poker-like and blackjack-like wagering card game whereineach player receives 5 cards to form two blackjack hands and a singlepoker hand and a complex system is employed to determine a winner. Thedisclosed methods provides minimal choice for players as little decisionmaking with respect to the cards held is employed.

[0021] U.S. Pat. No. 5,713,574 to Hughes discloses a card game methodcombining elements of Blackjack and poker in which each player getsthree cards (and may discard one for a new card) to form a poker orblackjack hand. As the player can hold no more than three cards, manyproper poker hands (e.g. full house, two pair) cannot be formed by theplayer's hand.

[0022] U.S. Pat. No. 6,012,719 to Webb discloses a method of playingblackjack with a three card poker wager. If the player has selected apoker wager prior to playing, the player's three card hand wins or losesin conjunction with a preset odds table, and the player continues onwith a standard blackjack game. The player has no decision making withrespect to the poker hand, and given the three card hand, large payoutsare not possible as many proper poker hands cannot be created.

[0023] There is a need for a modified method of play of conventionaltwenty-one with elements of poker, restoring fun and excitement to thegame by using liberal payouts, and play options that are normally notavailable under the conventional manner of play of twenty-one.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0024] The method of play of the present invention will maintain aspecified house advantage on the order of the house advantage enjoyed inconventional twenty-one and, at the same time, the method of play isunfavorable to professional card players who using card counting methodsto tip the advantage of the game to their favor.

[0025] These goals are achieved by the elimination number of tens cardsfrom a conventional 52 card deck of playing cards by revaluing cards asfollows: Jacks (Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts and Spades) count as 2; Queens(Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts and Spades) count as 3; and Kings (Clubs,Diamonds, Hearts and Spades) count as 4; and by adding a Joker: TheJoker is a wild card, has no value and is used to determine the bonushands. For the purposes of this application, the term “Joker” shall meana joker conventionally included with a deck of playing cards or anyother card marked to differentiate itself from the other cards in thedeck.

[0026] The resulting deck includes Fifty-three cards comprising the Acesthrough the tens and the Jacks, Queens, Kings, and Joker. Theelimination of the twelve ten-value cards (Jack, Queen, King count as 10in a conventional Twenty-One/Blackjack) makes card counting difficultfor the professional card player.

[0027] The elimination of the twelve ten-Value cards also improves theodds of the game toward the house. To offset this change in the odds,the method of play is modified to provide liberal game rules and bonuspayouts on the original hand. Preferably a player may select one or bothBonus bets available at the table, referred to as the Joker bonus andthe Poker bonus. The result of these modifications to the method of playresults in a player receiving some form of an advantage approximatelyonce every five hands of play.

[0028] In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the rulemodifications from standard Twenty One take the form of:

[0029] 1 Paying all Blackjacks (a two-card combination equaling anumerical count of 21) at two-to-one odds, including those occurringeven if the dealer also has a Blackjack, if the player has selected asleast one of the bonus bets. Under the conventional manner of play oftwenty-one, the player's hand would be a push if both the player and thedealer had a Blackjack.

[0030] 2 Paying the player's original bet at three-to-one odds if theplayer's hand has a value of 21 including Joker and the player hasselected the Joker bonus even if the dealer also has a hand having anumerical count of 21 or Blackjack. Under the conventional manner ofplay of twenty-one, the player's hand would be a push if both the playerand the dealer each had a hand having a numerical count of 21.

[0031] 3 Paying the player's original bet at two-to-one odds if theplayer's hand has a value of 19 or 20 including Joker and the player hasselected the Joker bonus even if the dealer also has a hand having anumerical count of 21 or Blackjack. Under the conventional manner ofplay of twenty-one, the player's hand would be a push or a lost if theplayer had total value of 19 or 20 and the dealer had a hand having anumerical count of 20 or over.

[0032] 4 Paying the player's original bet at one-to-one odds if theplayer's hand has a numerical count of 17 or 18 including Joker and theplayer has selected the Joker bonus even if the dealer also has a handwith a higher value. Under the conventional manner of play oftwenty-one, the player's hand would be a push if the player and thedealer had hands with the same value or a loss if the player had a handvalue of less than that of the dealer.

[0033] 5 Allowing the player to double down on any two or more cards andreceiving as many cards as they want. Under the conventional manner ofplay of twenty-one, the player may only double down on his first twocards (and some gaming establishments only allow doubling down if thefirst two cards have a numerical count of 10 or 11). This doubling downwould be permitted even after the player has split pairs, up to amaximum of one hand.

[0034] 6 Allowing the player to Surrender—Once the player has receivedtheir original two cards, prior to any action taking place and even ifthe dealer has an Ace showing the player has the option to “Surrender”.The Player loses one-half of the original bet. Under the conventionalmanner of play of twenty-one, the player may only Surrender on his firsttwo cards if and only if the dealer card is not a Ten or an Ace.

[0035] 7 Allowing the player to Insurance: If the Dealer's first card isan ace before any players draw a card, the Players are offered theoption of insuring their bets against the possibility of the Dealer'sfinal hand being a natural Blackjack. If a player insures their initialbet, they shall place one half of their original bet on the insuranceline displayed on the table layout as an insurance bet. If the Dealer'shand is a Blackjack, insurance bets shall then be paid at 2 to 1 odds.Players do not need to insure against the bonuses. Under theconventional manner of play of twenty-one, the player may insure againsta Blackjack and there are no bonus hands to insure against.

[0036] 8 Bonus payouts are added to the method of play based on pokerhands. If the player achieves one of a group of pre-designated cardcombinations (“Combinations”) during the play of his hand and has made aPoker bonus wager, they receive the associated bonus payout on the bonuswager based on a pre-established payout schedule (“Payouts”)

[0037] 9 The method of the present invention still includes theconventional manner of play of twenty-one with regard to Insurancewagers being allowed and the dealer hitting any hand that has anumerical count of a soft 17 or lower. Alternatively, the method canalso include the conventional manner of play of Twenty-one in thosegaming establishments that mandate that the dealer stand on 17 orhigher. The conventional “Surrender” option is also available in whichthe player may reclaim half of his original wager by surrendering hishand after the dealer checks to see if the dealer's hand is a Blackjack.

[0038] The present invention offers advantages to both the player andthe house. The player will receive more entertainment value for hiswager and will have the possibility of receiving large bonus payouts.The player will also enjoy having the additional wagering opportunitiesoffered by the liberalized doubling down and splitting rules.

[0039] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention a particulartable layout and sign are used to state the Payouts and other bonuses.Under conventional twenty-one the layout is standard and is not designedfor such bonuses.

[0040] Other objects, features and advantages of the present inventionwill become apparent from a consideration of the following detaileddescription.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0041]FIG. 1 is a top view of a layout of a Blackjack table according tothe invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0042] General Description:

[0043] The invention is a card game played with one standard deck of 53cards preferably dealt from an automatic single deck card shuffler or ashoe by a Dealer. Each player attempts to achieve a higher total pointvalue per hand than the dealer without exceeding a value of 21, and/oreach player attempts to achieve get the best possible poker handcombination in the single hand with out exceeding the total value of the21.

[0044]FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of a table for use in a gamingestablishment to practice the invention. In the description thereference characters refer to: TABLE 1 1 Mega Max Blackjack 2 TableFrame where the dealer stands 3 Table Frame where the player stands 4Actual Frame 5 Tray 6 Slots for value chips 7 Blackjack spot 8 Bonusspot 9 Poker spot 10 Insurance line

[0045] Object of the Game:

[0046] The Player's hand can beat the Dealer, and/or win the bonuses inmany ways, preferably including:

[0047] 1 Achieve a higher total point value than the Dealer's handwithout exceeding a value of 21;

[0048] 2 Achieve a total point value of 21 or less with the Dealer'shand exceeding a value of 21;

[0049] 3 Achieve a Blackjack (total point value of 21 with the first twocards).

[0050] 4 Achieve a total value of 17 through 21 with Joker as part oftheir hand and the Joker bonus wager made.

[0051] 5 Poker bonus: Placing the bet on the Poker bonus spot, (this isan independent bet), as seen in FIG. 1, and

[0052] 5.1 Achieve a poker hand without exceeding total value of 21 withor without the Joker;

[0053] 5.2 achieve bonus hands as defined in the table of Payouts

[0054] 5.3 Both bonuses: Placing the bet on both the Joker bonus and thePoker bonus spots, this is an independent bet (see the diagram) in whichcase:

[0055] 5.3.1 This bet empowers the poker bet and the black jack hand

[0056] 5.3.2 By betting this bonus, the following rule changes apply:

[0057] 5.3.2.a Regardless of the dealer's total point value, the playerwins if the joker is a part of player's hand (superior hand) and totalpoint value of its card is 17, 18, 19, 20, or 21.

[0058] 5.3.2.b Blackjack pays 3 to 1

[0059] 5.3.2.c Blackjack win automatically

[0060] 5.3.2.d Joker counts as a wild card in the poker hand. Playerscan use the joker to complete their poker hands.

[0061] 5.3.2.e Preferably give the player the chance to win up to1000,000.00.

[0062] 5.3.3 These bonus hands are defined in the table of Payouts

[0063] In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, aFifty-three-card deck of cards comprising the Aces through Kings and aJoker is used. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, asingle deck of this Fifty-three-card deck is shuffled together and usedto deal the hands to the players and the dealer. Optionally, up to eightdecks of cards can be used, although the method of the present inventioncan be practiced using as few as a single deck. In a preferredembodiment of the present invention, a maximum of one deck should beused for the bonus payouts as described herein.

[0064] The method of the present invention preferably uses this modifieddeck of playing cards and the conventional manner of play of Blackjackas modified with one or more of the following changes to the rules. Asin conventional Blackjack, each player makes a wager to be eligible toparticipate in the game. Conventional dealing procedures are used whichresult in each player having two cards and the dealer having an up card.

[0065] In a preferred embodiment, no more than seven Players shallparticipate in the same game, and optionally, a Player is permitted toplay more than one betting position in any round of play. The playermake bets prior to receiving cards. The player must make an ordinarytwenty-one wager, and may make bets on either or both of the Bonusselections.

[0066] Player Options

[0067] After the initial two cards are dealt, and the player has theplayer has the following options:

[0068] 1 Hit—Using a hand signal the Player draws one or more cards, oruses their cards and scratches the layout. A Player may not hit on aBlackjack or Hard 21, but may hit on a soft 21.

[0069] 2 Stand or Stay—The Player uses a hand signal to indicate theirhand is complete and that they do not want additional cards, or placesthe cards on the layout behind their bet.

[0070] 3 Pair Splitting—When the first two cards dealt to a Player areof equal point value, the Player may split them to form a second hand.Preferably, the rules for Pair Splitting are as follows:

[0071] 3.1 Maximums of one split hand are allowed. Aces may only besplit once also.

[0072] 3.2 The Player may receive as many hits as they wish on a splithand without exceeding 21.

[0073] 3.3 If the Dealer's first card is an ace or 10, any losing betsand cards shall remain on the table with the Dealer placing thecorresponding bet on top of the cards. If the Dealer makes Blackjack,only the original bet on a split hand is lost.

[0074] 3.4 A two-card 21 on a split hand is not a Blackjack and is paidat one to one (only the original two cards dealt are considered aBlackjack).

[0075] 3.5 Split hands are exempt from the Poker and Joker bonuses.

[0076] 4 Double Down: A Player may place an additional bet equal to theoriginal bet on any number of card total, (with the exception ofBlackjack). Rules for Double Down bets are as follows:

[0077] 4.1 Player places an additional, separate bet, equal to theoriginal bet in value. The bet shall be placed in such a way thatsurveillance in the gaming establishment can differentiate between aDouble Down option and a Split option (the split bet shall be place onthe right side of the original bet, and the double down bet shall placeright behind the original bet). The Player receives one additional card.

[0078] 4.2 A Player may double down on any number of hands and receiveas many hits as they wish, including hands that are the result of asplit.

[0079] 4.3 If the Player's hand exceeds 21, and if the Dealer's firstcard is an ace or 10, the losing bets and cards shall remain on thetable with the Dealer placing the corresponding bet on top of the cards.If the Dealer receives a Blackjack, the Player loses only the originalbet. Otherwise, the Player loses all bets.

[0080] 4.4 A 21 with a Joker on a Double Down hand is not a Joker bonusand is paid one to one (only the original cards dealt are to beconsidered for the Joker bonus).

[0081] 4.5 Double down hands are exempt from both bonuses (both Jokerand Poker).

[0082] 5 Surrender—Once the player has received their original twocards, prior to any action taking place and if the dealer does not havean Ace showing the player has the option of “Surrender”. The Playerloses one-half of the original bet should they “Surrender”.

[0083] 5.1 Bonuses: All Bonus bets are considered as losing bets, once aplayer requests surrender.

[0084] 6 Insurance: If the Dealer's first card is an ace before anyplayers draw a card, the Players are offered the option of insuringtheir bets against the possibility of the Dealer's final hand being anatural Blackjack. If a player wishes to insure their initial bet, theyplace one half of their original bet on the insurance line displayed onthe table layout as an insurance bet. If the Dealer's hand is aBlackjack, Insurance bets are then paid at 2 to 1 odds.

[0085] Play Proceeds: Sequence of Play

[0086] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the Sequence of playof each hand is as follows:

[0087] 1 Play commences with each player optionally placing two optionalwagers in the designated betting circles for the bonus games.

[0088] 2 Upon completion of the hand sweep, the Dealer announces no morebets. Players may not alter their bonus bets after the dealer announcesno more bets.

[0089] 3 The Dealer verifies that all bets are placed and that they arewithin the betting spots provided.

[0090] 4 The Dealer places the deck into the shuffling position of theshuffling device.

[0091] 5 Once automatic shuffler finishes shuffling the cards, thedealer withdraws the deck from the shuffler and places it on the cutcards.

[0092] 6 Once the first card of the hand has been drawn from the deck,no new bets are permitted and no chips may be added to or taken awayfrom existing bets, with the exception of splitting, doubling down,surrender and insurance.

[0093] 7 The Dealer ensures that all the bets are in the proper spotallocated in front of the player for each Player wagering on the Pokerbonus or the Joker Bonus.

[0094] 8 The Dealer checks Bonus wager/bets, and verifies that the bonuswagers correspond to the player's original wager.

[0095] 9 The Dealer discards the first card from a new shoe.

[0096] 10 Starting with the Player to the Dealer's left and proceedingclockwise, the Dealer deals each player one card, face up or down(depending on the house rules), in front of the betting space.

[0097] 11 The Dealer deals one card for him/herself and places it on thetable layout, face up, to the front (and in the center of) the chiptray.

[0098] 12 The Dealer deals a second card, face up or down (depending onhouse rules), to each player, again from left to right.

[0099] 13 Players are permitted to touch their cards after the dealerfinishes distributing the initial distribution of cards.

[0100] 14 Players may pick up their cards and decide if they wish totake any action.

[0101] 15 If the Dealer shows an ace, the Dealer announces “insurance”and Players who wish to do so, place one half of their original bet onthe insurance line displayed in the table layout. A Player with anatural Blackjack may insure their hand against a Dealer's Blackjack byasking for “Even Money”. The Dealer shall immediately pay the Player'sBlackjack bet with even money or 1 to 1 odds, and place the Player'scards in the discard rack before continuing with the game. After givingthe Players sufficient time to place insurance bets, the Dealer shallannounce “insurance closed” and check that the insurance bets do notexceed more than one half of the original amount bet.

[0102] 16 Once the Player has received the first two cards, prior to anyaction taking place, and if the Dealer does not have an ace showing, thePlayer will have the option of Surrender. The Dealer shall push thePlayer's hand together in a pile, place their bet on top of their cardsand place a surrender button on top of the chips. If the Dealer has anace, Surrender is not permitted.

[0103] 17 The Players, at their option, and if they have the appropriatecards, may choose to Split and/or Double Down at this time by placingthe appropriate bet in the proper position.

[0104] 18 The Dealer then deals all additional cards left to right toPlayers who signal for a hit by scratching the layout toward themselveswith their cards (or by otherwise signaling). Players wishing to standshall place their cards on the table behind the bet.

[0105] 19 Where a “bust” hand occurs during play the player notifies thedealer by showing their hand to the dealer, and the Player's bets andcards in the bust hand are immediately picked up and placed in the chiptray and discard rack, respectively.

[0106] 20 A Blackjack appearing during play is paid only when the Dealerreaches that hand during the course of play and not before the Dealer'shand has been played.

[0107] 21 When a Player Surrenders, the Dealer takes one half of thePlayer's bet when the Dealer reaches that hand during the course ofplay.

[0108] 22 After all the Players' hands are complete, the Dealer shallnot play out the Dealer's hand if:

[0109] 22.1 All Players have busted;

[0110] 22.2 If the remaining players all have Blackjack and the Dealer'sfirst card is neither an ace or 10 value card,

[0111] 23 Otherwise the Dealer takes additional cards face-up, one at atime, up to and including a hand having a value of a “soft” 17.

[0112] 24 Dealer Stands if the hand is a “hard” 17 or more, includinghard or soft totals of 18, 19, 20, or 21.

[0113] 25 If the Dealer does not have a natural Blackjack after havingdealt him/herself second cards, they shall immediately collect anyinsurance bets in order from right to left. The rest of their hand shallthen be dealt and regular bets paid, taken or pushed.

[0114] 26 If the Dealer's hand is a natural Blackjack, the regularlosing bets shall immediately be collected in order starting from theright and continuing counter clockwise to the left. Insurance bets shallthen be paid at 2 to 1 odds, in order from right to left, only afterpushing the Player's regular/original bet, as applicable. Bonus handsmay beat a Blackjack

[0115] 27 All subsequent Dealer's cards are dealt to the Dealer's leftof the first two cards and shall not overlap. Should the Dealer needmore space, they may move their cards slightly to the left or right inorder to avoid encroachment with the last Player's hand. The Dealershall not pre-slide the cards.

[0116] Because the revaluation of the face cards (Jacks, Queens, andKings) from each conventional fifty-two card deck changes themathematical odds of the game in favor of the house, the method of thepresent invention modifies the conventional manner of play of twenty-onein order to move these mathematical odds closer to those present inconventional twenty-one. These rule modifications may take variousforms, including one or more of the following:

[0117] Form 1:

[0118] All player Blackjacks (a two card combination equally a numericalcount of 21) are paid at two-to-one odds, including those occurring evenif the dealer also has a Blackjack. Under the conventional manner ofplay of twenty-one, the player's hand would be a push if both the playerand the dealer had a Blackjack.

[0119] Form 2:

[0120] The player's original bet is paid at three-to-one odds if theplayer's hand has a numerical count of 21 even including a Joker and hasselected the Joker bonus, even if the dealer also has a hand having anumerical count of 21 or Blackjack. Under the conventional manner ofplay of twenty-one, the player's hand would be a push if both the playerand the dealer each had a hand having a numerical count of 21 and lossif the dealer has Blackjack

[0121] Form 3:

[0122] A player is allowed to double down on any two or more cards andto receive as many “hits” as they like. Under the conventional manner ofplay of twenty-one, the player may only double down on his first twocards (and some gaming establishments only allow doubling down if thefirst two cards have a numerical count of 10 or 11). This doubling downwould be permitted even after the player has split pairs.

[0123] Form 4:

[0124] Bonus payouts are added to the method of play. If the playerachieves any of the following card combinations (Bonus Combination)during the play of his hand, they receive the associated bonus payoutshown in Table 1:

[0125] 1 Bonuses:

[0126] 1.1 All Players who place a bet before the cards are dealt, havethe option of placing a $1.00 Chip or up to maximum house bet (dependingon house rules) on the Joker bonus spot or the Poker bonus spotallocated to their betting position in order to participate in the Bonusgame.

[0127] 1.2 Players can multiply the bonuses by betting on both the Jokerand Poker bonus spots. (E.g. Bonuses are paid according to the table ofPayouts)

[0128] 1.2.1 There is preferably an aggregate amount of maximum bonusPayout for a particular bonus spot,

[0129] 1.3 A Player must make a bet on the basic game in order toqualify to make a bonus bet on that round of play.

[0130] 1.4 A Player choosing to play bonus bets shall be responsible forensuring their wager has been accepted and placed prior the dealingcommences.

[0131] 1.5 Neither the house hand nor a Dealer bet is eligible forbonuses.

[0132] 1.6 A Player who has placed a wager on a bonus and receives ahand, which qualifies for a bonus prize, shall win irrespective ofwhether, the Dealers hand wins.

[0133] 1.7 Any Bonus Payouts made to a Player shall be independent fromand in addition to any payment made for a bet by the Player on the basicgame and shall be paid according to the Payout table.

[0134] 1.8 If two or more Player's hands qualify for Bonuses in the sameround of play, the payout shall disbursed according to the order of theplay.

[0135] 2 Payouts. A preferable schedule of Payouts could be as follows:

[0136] 2.1 A Winning hand is paid even money or 1 to 1 of the originalbet accordingly.

[0137] 2.2 A Blackjack hand is paid two to one of the original betaccordingly.

[0138] 2.3 A Joker bonus blackjack hand is paid one to one of theoriginal bet accordingly

[0139] 2.4 Two cards totaling 21 on a split is not a Blackjack and ispaid even money.

[0140] 2.5 Total value of 21 including a Joker on the split and doubledown is not a bonus and is paid even money.

[0141] 2.6 If Player and a Dealer have equal value hands, it is a tie or“push” and neither party wins or loses. The Player's bet is left on thetable and the cards are picked up. This excludes the instance if playerspurchase the bonus bets.

[0142] 2.7 A player wins on push if the player wagers either bonus.

[0143] 2.8 If the value of a hand exceeds 21, it is a “bust” and the betis automatically lost, except as prescribed in the Double Down and Splitoptions.

[0144] 2.9 All suits have the same rank.

[0145] A representative table of Payouts could be as follows (for handsreceived face up or: Welcome to Bonus Blackjack Note: Kings, Queans,Jacks are Valued as 4, 3, 2 i) Poker Hands (requiring a Poker bonus bet)Including or Excluding the Joker (Players Poker Poker must bet the Jokerbonus bet in order Bet Payout Bet Payout to use the joker) Face-upFacedown 5 Card Royal Flush Plus the Joker 100,000 250,000 5 Card RoyalFlush 20,000 25,000 5 Card Straight Flush 150 to 1 200 to 1 4 of a Kind25 to 1 50 to 1 5 Card Full House 15 to 1 20 to 1 5 Card Flush 10 to 115 to 1 5 Card Straight 6 to 1 10 to 1 3 of a Kind 4 to 1 4 to 1 2 Pairs2 to 1 2 to 1 Pair 1 to 1 1 to 1 ii) Basic Game Winning Hands (Playersmust bet the Joker bonus to receive the Bonus Blackjack or handsincluding a Basic Basic bet Joker) bet Payout Payout Bonus Blackjack 3to 1 3 to 1 Blackjack 2 to 1 2 to 1 Total of 21 Including Joke 2 to 1 2to 1 Total of 17 through 20 Including Joker 1 to 1 1 to 1

[0146] Tests to calculate the revenue stream and the hold percentage ofthe game playing face down with the odds given in the table result in ahold percentage of 7.36% for the poker bet, and 100% hold for the onedollar bonus. A simulation to calculate the revenue stream and the holdpercentage of the game playing face up with the odds given in the tableabove sees the hold percentage of 8.39% for the poker bet, and 100% holdfor the one dollar bonus.

[0147] 2.10 A winning bet shall always be paid even money or at 1 to 1odds.

[0148] 2.10.1 Blackjack pays 2 to 1.

[0149] 2.10.2 Blackjack with Joker (with Joker bonus selected) pays 3 to1.

[0150] Aces are accepted as either a high card or a low card for thepurposes of constructing either a straight or a straight flush hand. ATie hand is considered as a push. When all hands, including theDealer's, have been played, winning bets are paid and losing bets taken,on a Player by Player basis, from the Dealer's right to left. The Dealerpays the winning bets of all hands which are greater than the total ofthe Dealer's hand and which do not exceed 21 and collects losing betsfrom all hands which are less than their hand. Should the Dealer's handexceed 21, all remaining bets are paid off.

[0151] The method of the present invention still includes theconventional manner of play of twenty-one with regard to Insurancewagers being allowed and the dealer hitting any hand that has anumerical count of a soft 17 or lower.

[0152] For additional amusement for the gaming establishment patrons andpublicity for the gaming establishment, the largest bonus available (theroyal flush with joker being made with both the Poker bonus and Jokerbonus selected) may be insured by the casino.

[0153] While the invention has been illustrated with respect to severalspecific embodiments thereof, these embodiments should be considered asillustrative rather than limiting. Various modifications and additionsmay be made and will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Inparticular the method may employ some or all of the rule variations andPayouts described herein. Payouts in particular are easily modified tosuit the circumstances.

[0154] The method of the present invention is not limited to live tablegame versions of twenty-one. Any of the methods described above can beapplied to a twenty-one game that is programmed to operate on anelectronic video gaming machine that displays twenty-one to a player andthe player effects the play of the game using control buttons or thelike. Each of the features discussed above can be easily included in anyelectronic version of twenty-one and the claims of the present inventionare intended to include both the live table game version, the electronicvideo gaming machine version, computer software versions, internetgaming, slot machines and other electronic devices incorporating themethod of the present invention.

[0155] Accordingly, the invention should not be limited by the foregoingdescription, but rather should be defined only by the following claims.

1. A method of playing a modified version of Twenty One with a house andat least a player, which uses the conventional manner of play oftwenty-one with rule modifications comprising: (a) providing a 53 cardplaying deck comprising: (i) a standard 52 card playing deck wherein thekings, queens, and jacks have been revalued; and (ii) a wild card. 2.The method of claim 1 wherein said jacks are valued as
 2. 3. The methodof claim 2 wherein said queens are valued as
 3. 4. The method of claim 3wherein said kings are valued as
 4. 5. The method of claims 4 whereinsaid wild card is a joker.
 6. The method of claim 2 further comprising:(b) accepting a wager from said player; (c) providing said player ahand; and (d) paying said player winnings at increased odds in relationto said wager should said hand include said wild card and apredetermined value.
 7. The method of claim 6 further comprising thesteps of: (b.1) accepting a second wager from said player; (d.1) payingsaid player winnings at predetermined odds in relation to said secondwager if said hand includes specified elements of a poker hand.
 8. Themethod of claim 7 wherein an additional deck of cards is provided. 9.The method of claim 7 wherein said second wager is optional to saidplayer.
 10. The method of claim 9 wherein said cards are dealt to saiddealer face down.
 11. The method of claim 9 wherein said player may winas a maximum winning an amount greater than $500,000.
 12. The method ofclaim 11 , wherein said maximum winning is insured by a gamingestablishment.
 13. The method of claim 1 , wherein said revalued cardsare printed to indicate said revaluation.
 14. The method of claim 1 ,wherein said cards are represented electronically.